RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
A program supported by the Airman and Family Readiness Center gives Team Randolph family members a taste of what it's like when an Air Force parent goes through a deployment.
Operation FLAGS, or Families Learning About Global Support, is a five-year-old program scheduled to happen again in mid-June on the first Friday after schools in the San Antonio area have let out. Last year, 219 children and about 60 adults participated in the event.
"We educate families about what goes on during a deployment," said Master Sgt. Todd Remington, 12th Mission Support Squadron readiness NCO in charge,"because children see daddy come home with a war bag and they experience fear. This gets families engaged in the deployment process and increases understanding of it."
Sergeant Remington said for children, the mock deployment process begins at 8:30 a.m. at the A&FRC. Children enter the building, where they are given a FLAGS mock picture identification card, dog tag and cinch-style backpacks with the Operation FLAGS logo emblazoned on them.
Then, children are split into three squadrons, or deployment "chalks." After that, they're bused in those groups to deployment processing, and then on to aircraft typically used in deploying. Then they participate in the Middle Tier Association's obstacle course, a hands-on weapons display and finally to a demonstration of military working dogs. The day wraps up around 3 p.m.
"The obstacle course is one of the more fun events," said Tech. Sgt. Ann Ellis, Air Education Training Command NCO in charge of video teleconferencing and MTA treasurer. "The children get to low crawl, shoot water guns and run through hoops. They definitely enjoy it."
Sergeant Ellis, who is helping to plan this year's Operation FLAGS, said the mock deployment process calms the children's nerves about what their parents go through by giving them fun, concrete examples of the process they can experience.
Sergeant Remington also said he's had several adults who volunteered to help with Operation FLAGS say that until they saw the actual mock deployment process that the children go through, they had little to no idea what deploying Airmen went through before leaving for overseas.
"They themselves - the adults, didn't understand it," Sergeant Remington added, "and fear of the unknown can cause a lot of stress."
Sergeant Remington also said no federal money is budgeted for the program. All money used to obtain the backpacks, the mock deployment folders and the dog tags are donated to the A&FRC from the Texas Cavaliers, the Friends of the Family Support Center and from the MTA.
Regardless of who supports Operation FLAGS, Sergeant Ellis said it's worthy work.
"It's a good project to get involved in because since children of everyone here from colonels through airmen basic see their parents deploy, we get to help a wide-cross-section of the Randolph AFB community," she said.
Those interested in signing up to participate in Operation FLAGS must call the Airman and Family Readiness Center by June 10 at 652-5321. All families can attend, even if there is not a member of the family currently deployed.
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